The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-07
WICHITA WANTS HER OWN WAY

WICHITA WANTS HER OWN WAY
The Attorney-GeneralL Likely To Rs Ma yin
Serious Opposition.
Wichita Letter in New York sun.
AS a frontier town and boom town Wichita
has claimed immunity from the law prohibiting
the manufacture and sale of liquor in kansas.
There are several towns on the border which
have never tolerated any interference from the
prohibitonists, but Wichita is the first to claim
indulgence two scores-one that it is yet
wild aud woolly enough to have liquor whether
the State authorities want It to or not, and the
other, that, as the most progressive and rapidly
growing city in Kansas, il ought not to be inter-
fered with to its injury.
Temperance reformers in other States may
not clearly understand the size of Kansas. or the
difficulties under which their brethren here
labor. unless it Is stated that while there
tions of the State where the law is as rigidly
enforced as the most pious temperance advocate
could wish. there other sections in which
even the suggestion of espionage is SO hateful
to they people that they prefer to kill a man
rather than submit to it. When the prohibitory
law was passed, and the full force of that enact
ment broke on the minds of the people of Dodge
City Wichita, and other towns along the south
ern and western border, they simply decided
that there would be no such foolishness in their
locality. It was with this determination firmly
in mind that the editor of newspaper here pub
lIshed card:
TO ALL PRoHIBITIoNIsTs
The saloonkeepers of Wichita have $500 on deposs
OF THE WIDOW
- of the
Son of q Gun who makes
THE FIRST COMPLAINT
THE LIQUOR DEALERS OF THIS TOWN.
When this proclamation was made Wichita
was enjoying a man for breakfast every day,
and everybody knew that there more or less
likelihood that the threat would be carried out
went by without any active temperance labors
here. and while towns to the north
suffered from thirst, Wichita had
as many saloons as ever. Since the boom
struck the town ethere has been q large
accession the law and order and temperance
element and owing to the agitation which the
newcomers have maintained, some of the sa-
looms have so far yielded to public opinion as to
do business wholly by the side door. Others
have run wide open as usual. A few weeks ago
the temperance people persuaded the Mayor to
order the saloons closed proclamation was
issued in due form, and the police were notified
that if they found any body selling liquor after q
lay To this the saloon keepers and their friends,
including one or two newspapers, replied that
there were bigger men than the May IN the town,
and that if he undertook too much The might
get rum" words to that effect. Before the
time for the execution of the order arrived the
City Council had meeting. and by almost
unanimous vote repealed the ordinance giving
the Mayor power to close Objectionable houses,
and passed another specifically prohibiting him
from interfering with any of the business enter
prises of,the town.
This was more than any of the newcomers had
counted on, and for few days the saloon keep
ers had things their own way. One of them said
on this point:
when 1 came to this town the preach sang
mighty small He didn't dare own that he was
preach, and he never interfered with things
Now, look at him. He's around with white
choker on showing himself. This Amt as it was
when he had to camp outside the town until
dark and then come in shooting gun SOS not to
attract attention"
The preach is. indeed. at the fore to some
extent When the Council passed this new ordi-
nance he and his assistants besieeed the Mayor
until that functonary vetoed the measure. Then
the Council delayed action on the veto and in the
meantime six seven new saloons opened on the
ma..i street and all night with three pha-
1anxes of men. Moreover, one of them put out
a sign as follows:
THE GOSPEL BELL.
Schooners- -.-----.-5 oulsearchers.........1O
EXPERIENCE MEETINGS DAILY
This made the newcomers mad, and, they
saw that the Mayor could not cope with public
sentiment and the saloon-keepers, they appealed
at once to the State authorities. When it be-
came known here that the Attorney-general had
been asked to come to Wichita and take charge
of the prosecution of the saloonists under tho
State law, a local newspaper gave that official
notice that be was not wanted here He had
better keep away the paper said. Wichita has t
never done him any harm. and it does not want
to, but if he sticks his nose within the munich
pality he may get it damaged. This wonderful
ly progressive city is in no mood to be triied
with Let the State of Kansas take of it.
self. and Wichita will look out for the rest
And SO on. day or two later this cheerful
journal announced that it panied
hear that Attorney-general Bradford was
coming, but it assured him that he would
not be able to accomplish anything. The people
had him marked. and if he did not walk q chalk
line from that time on he would probably rue the
day In reply to these threats the Attorney
general has sent word that he is coming. all Me
same, and that whether he has any assistance
from the local authorities not he will close
cry saloon in the town. Each side THINKS the
other is bluffng, but of one thing there be ns
doubt. When the Attorney general arrives
there will be bigger crowd at the depot to meet
him than was ever seen at any circus in Kansas.
The new men here want to welcome him, and
the old timers are rather anxious to a man
who has reputation a killer, but who an.
nounces that he is coming about as Doc Halliday
and Bat Masterson used to do when they had
While Wichita is waiting for him. it is having all
it wants to drink